Cardinal Zen: Pope Francis is ‘Encouraging a Schism’ by ‘Legitimizing’ China’s Communist-Run Church, by Barillas and Baklinski

By Martin M. Barillas and Pete Baklinski, LifeSiteNews, December 6, 2019

BEIJING, December 6, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) — Chinese Cardinal Joseph Zen said that Pope Francis is “encouraging a schism” in China by “legitimizing” the Communist-run Chinese catholic independent church.

“Recently I learned that the Holy Father, on a flight back from (I don’t remember where) said, ‘Sure, I don’t want to see a schism. But I’m not afraid of a schism.’ And I’m going to tell him ‘you are encouraging a schism. You are legitimizing the schismatic church in China.’ Incredible,” said Cardinal Zen in a candid interview with online New Bloom Magazine published Dec. 3.

Zen related in the interview how attempts to contact and work with the Vatican under Pope Francis for the good of Chinese Catholics has been “simply disastrous” when compared to the open and welcoming situation under previous popes. He accused Francis of “shutting down” the good work regarding China accomplished by John Paul II and by Pope Benedict.

“But what is happening now? Francis came. Now I’m sorry to say that I think you can agree that he has low respect for his predecessors. He is shutting down everything done by John Paul II and by Pope Benedict. And obviously they always give lip service, they always say ‘In the continuity…’ but that’s [slaps table] an insult. An insult. Not in the continuity,” the Cardinal said. ….

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